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The Best Space Images Ever Were Taken by Apollo Astronauts With Hasselblad Cameras

The most iconic photos from the manned exploration of space come from the monumental Apollo project. But if you're not a camera buff or a space-history enthusiast, you may not know that nearly every single famous photo from that program was taken using Hasselblad cameras.

Known among photographers for their larger-than-normal film format and amazing optical qualities, the Swedish-based Hasselblad has also had a more than 50-year partnership with NASA. Astronaut Wally Schira carried the first Hasselblad used by NASA, a 500C camera -- which he had purchased at a Houston photo supply shop -- during his turn around the Earth in a Mercury rocket in in 1962.

Subsequent Mercury and Gemini astronauts also used Hasselblads, and each space shuttle flight took an average of 1,000 and 2,000 pictures with the cameras. Both NASA and the astronauts liked the Hasselblads for many reasons.

NASA asked Hasselblad for a modified version of their 500EL models to use during the Apollo moon missions. Known as the Hasselblad Electric Data Camera (EDC), these machines came with specially designed lenses and a glass plate that placed reference crosses on each image to make it possible to figure out the distance and heights of objects in the photos. The EDC's photo plate was also coated with a small conductive layer of silver, preventing the buildup of static electricity that could result in a spark. Finally, the outer camera was painted silver to help maintain the temperature, and all lubricants had to be replaced to allow the machines to work in the vacuum of space.

Starting with Apollo 8, astronauts carried a Hasselblad EDC with them on their lunar journeys. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin each had one during their brief but historic romp on the moon on July 20, 1969. Subsequent men also took Hasselblads, 12 of which are now sitting on the moon’s surface, left behind to save weight on the return trip. Only the film magazines returned to Earth.

Pictures from Apollo allowed people all over the world to participate in the trip. Looking through the Apollo Hasselblad film reels is like perusing someone’s weird vacation slides. Except in this case, the vacation happens to be one taken on the moon. As an additional and somewhat related bonus, the state of film technology in 1969 provides definitive proof that the moon landings could not have been faked.

In honor of the 44th anniversary of Apollo 11’s historic landing, here we present a gallery of some of the best shots that astronauts took from the moon and space with Hasselblad cameras.

Above:

Armstrong on the Moon

Neil Armstrong stands on the moon next to the Apollo 11 lunar lander, showing the American flag nearby. Most of the Apollo 11 images were taken by Armstrong and so feature Buzz Aldrin. This is one of the few with Armstrong actually in it.

Hasselblad on the Moon

A photo that shows Apollo astronaut Alan Bean with a Hasselblad EDC camera seen strapped to his suit during Apollo 12. Astronaut Charles Conrad, who took this picture, can be seen reflected in his visor.

Out in Space

Astronaut Rusty Schweickart snapped this pic of David Scott opening the hatch of the Apollo 9 command module while docked to the lunar lander. Apollo 9 didn’t fly to the moon but did test out docking in Earth orbit. Below you can see the lunar lander floating above Earth in orbit.

Homeward Bound

A view of the Apollo 17 command module as seen from the lunar lander during rendezvous. Below is an image of astronaut Ronald Evans during that same mission, the final Apollo flight, performing some repairs outside the spacecraft as the crew travels back to Earth.

Collecting Samples

Earthrise

The Apollo 8 astronauts were the first people to circle around the moon. As such, they got to see sights never before beheld by human eyes. This famous photo shows our planet rising over the lunar greyness. Below is another iconic shot, the lunar far side, which had never been seen directly before.

Footprints

The Whole Earth

One of the most famous and widely reproduced images in history, this shot of the entire Earth was taken by the Apollo 17 astronauts. Such pictures are credited with helping bring a more worldly and environmental consciousness to humanity.